'Angels & Demons': coming soon - Variety 5/23/06

Striking while the iron is sizzling, Sony has signed "The Da Vinci Code" scribe Akiva Goldsman to adapt author Dan Brown's first religious thriller, Angels & Demons. "Code" grossed $231.8 million worldwide in its first five days.

Though development of Angels & Demons is still in the early stages, the studio's also planning to reassemble The Da Vinci Code producing team of Brian Grazer and John Calley for the project.

No deals are set yet for director Ron Howard or star Tom Hanks to return, but both would have first crack at the project.

"Code" was Brown's second novel centering on Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor who's an expert in religious symbols. "Angels & Demons," published in 2000, introduced the Langdon character.

In "Angels," Langdon's character tries to solve a murder and unravel a plot by an ancient group, the Illuminati, to blow up the Vatican during a papal conclave.

Re: 'Angels & Demons': coming soon - Variety 5/23/06

^ Tom Hanks and Ron Howard were both asked about this numerous times during the publicity rounds. The answer is: now that Mr. Brown is past the recent legal dust-ups he has started work on a follow-up to TDVC.

"If you don't know how to draw, you don't belong in this building" - John Lasseter 2006